Governors to Washington: We need more immigrants!

[peejay 327]

The most interesting part of the article is the readers comments at the end of the article on the webpage. The link is provided below. No one but the politicians and corporations seem to be in favor of this.

Governors to Washington: We need more immigrants!

Texas Gov. Rick Perry and a dozen other state chief executives, including California's Arnold Schwarzenegger, are urging Congress to rev up the immigration debate again.

In a letter today to the House and Senate leadership, 13 governors of both parties complain that their states are being crimped by a lack of highly skilled workers -- a problem they say could be solved by bringing in more educated legal immigrants.

They write:

If states like ours are to remain world leaders in innovation and intend to continue to see the job growth that is so vital to our economies, we must keep our employers in our states and ensure there is a skilled workforce in this country to fill their immediate needs.

While wholesale immigration reform may not be possible in the 110th Congress, we urge congressional action this year that recognizes states' immediate need to recruit and retain professionals in key sectors, while we continue to produce here at home the skilled workforce our companies need in the long term.

Specifically, the governors are calling for an increase in permanent legal immigration and a boost in temporary visas, known as H-1B visas, for highly skilled foreign workers.

Congress, of course, appears highly unlikely to restart the very contentious immigration overhaul debate -- particularly as the 2008 elections draw ever closer. But the governors and others are gaming that lawmakers may be less leery about smaller, business-friendly measures such as raising the H-1B visa limit beyond its 65,000 ceiling.

Increasing permanent legal immigration may be a harder sell this year because it would immediately touch off a reprise of the Senate's fight over what type of foreigners should be welcomed.

While Democrats, immigrant-rights groups and religious organizations were intent on retaining the current focus on family reunification, Republicans and business interests argued U.S. competitiveness would be enhanced by bringing in more educated, skilled immigrants.

The governors represent an interesting cross-section, with Republicans like Perry and Schwarzenegger joined by Democrats such as New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Arizona's Janet Napolitano.

http://blogs.chron.com/immigration/archive...rs_to_wa_1.html

[Jasman0717 9]

Isn't that an issue with the illegals from India now. They were brought in as skilled employees and decided to stay